The Rogue Sport was positioned as a conquest model to attract new and younger customers when it launched in the US in 2017.
“We predict the Rogue Sport will deliver 70 percent of conquest sales,” Christian Meunier, then senior vice president of sales & marketing and operations for Nissan North America, told Automotive News during the New York Auto Show.
But barely two years later, rumors of the Rogue Sport’s demise began to circulate. The crossover has failed to find its niche between the entry-level kicks and the higher-volume Rogue.
As the Rogue has moved slightly upscale, a gap has widened between it and the entry-level Rogue Sport, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions.
“Meanwhile, the popularity of the kicks and their lower price have put pressure on Rogue Sport’s sales and pushed them out of the lineup,” Fiorani said.
Ditching the Rogue Sport will allow Nissan to invest more in the small car kicks, according to a dealer who asked not to be identified.
“We can get more bang for our buck with the Kicks, especially since there’s all-wheel drive,” said the dealer.
The kicks are set for a redesign in early 2024 that would make them longer and wider and reduce the size difference between the two crossovers. Dealers describe the new kicks as more aggressive and “SUV-like”.
Meanwhile, the Rogue received its redesign last year, including a new platform and an overhauled look.
“Rogue Sport used to look the same, just a little bit smaller,” the source says. “With the redesign, the Rogue is a completely different car.”
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